Electrically-operating mechanism for valves



';-L.FARNHAM. ELECTBICALLY OPERATING MECHANISM'FOR VALVES APPLICATION FILED SEPT- I3. .I9I9.

1,371,153, Paten@ Mar. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETSI-SH'EET I.

WITNESSES L. FARNHAM.

ELECTRIQALLY UPI-:RATING MECHANISM FOR VALVES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3. |919.

1,371,153, 1 Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. FARNHAM.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATING MECHANISM FOR VIILVIES.-

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3. 1919.'

1,371,153. Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

(lum/v1.0.3

LEONARD FARNHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. u

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR VALVES.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Mar. 8, y1921.

Application iled September 13, 1919. Serial No. 323,484.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, LEONARD FARNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Operating Mechanism for Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for operating one or more valves, and more particularly to electrically operated mechanism, and has for its object means for operating two or more valves in succession, the time of operation of each valve being accurately controlled by manually adjusting certain portions of the mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide a drive mechanism for closing a series of valves simultaneously or in succession or for opening the valves in the same manner and besides in case the valves are of the gasrange type to ignite the issuing gas. l

Besides the above, my invention is distinguished in the use of a plurality of valve operating devices, all of which may be driven from a common shaft at different timed intervals.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be better understood from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a gas range showing my invention applied thereto.

Figs. 2, 3 and l are sectional views.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical view of the system. Y

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the circuit controlling clock for my invention.

Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a face view of one of the operating disks showing the contacts thereon.

Again referring to the drawings illustrating two of the many forms in which my invention may be constructed, I will first describe the mechanical elements connected to the valves and then follow the same with a detail description of the circuits for controlling the time of operation of the mechanical elements. The numeral 1 designates an electric motor connected in any suitable manner to drive a shaft 2, which as shown in the drawings extends parallel to the gas pipe 3, in which the valves 4: are

arranged. Fixed to the plug portion of each valve l is a disk 5, and at this point I wish to call attention to the fact, that although in the drawings I have shown a disk drive, I wish it to be understood that other forms of drive devices may be utilized. Arranged to coperate with this disk 5, but normally spaced therefrom by a spring 6, is a pair of disks 7 and 8, each slidably mounted upon the shaft 2, so as to engage and disengage with the disk 5 and drive the same. I provide a pair of disks for the purpose of driving the disk 5 in one direction to open the valve or in an opposite direction to close the valve.

For the purpose of 'forcing each disk 7 and 8 into engagement with the disk 5 and timing this operation, each of the disks 7 and 8 has associated therewith a shifter 9. This shifter in one of its forms may consist of two parts 10 and 11, pivotally connected together, as indicated at 12, so that the part 10 may swing into and out of engagement with groove 13 in the shaft. The part 10 is formed with an extension 14, arranged to engage a disk and force the same into engagement with the disk 5. The part 11 is slidably mounted on a hanger 15, that is in turn clamped to the gas pipe 3. By swinging the part 10 out of engagement with the groove and adjusting the part 11 on the hanger, it will be seen that the time of engagement of the shifter with the disk may be accurately regulated. lIt may be found advantageous in practice to brake the rota tion of the shaft at the closing of a valve, and for this purpose I have illustrated a magnetic type of brake 16, the circuit of which is controlled by a metallic portion 17 of the disk 5 engaging with either of the disks 7 and 8.

Attention is called to the fact that the major portion of the disk 5 is constructed. of non-conducting material so that during the closing of the valve a non-metallic surface will be arranged in engaging with the disk of the drive shaft, but upon the completion of the movement of the valve, the metallic portion of the disk 5 will engage the associated disk and thereby close theniagnetic brake circuit for rendering the brake active.

To complete the invention, I provide an ignition circuit 17', one terminal of which is connected to a finger 18, arranged to engage a contact 19, formingV the other terminal of the circuit when the valve has been fully opened. Thus it will be seen that in an automatic manner the gas is ignited and the valve completely opened.

When using that form of my invention just described, it will be seen that by properly positioning the Shifters with relation to the disks to be operated, the valves may be operated in succession and the timed intervals between each operation-can be accurately regulated by the time controlled circuits now to be described.

The numeral 2O designates a dial of a. clock, which in one of its forms has embedded therein a series of contacts 21,y corresponding to certain intervals of time. Arranged to wipe upon these contacts 2l in succession is a single hand Formed in the body of the clock or contiguous thereto, is a switch board 23, the sockets 24 of which are connected by conductors 25 with the con- Y tacts, while the hand 25 has a ground connection with the base of the switch board. The motor l is arranged in a circuit 26 including a source of current and a signal 27. One terminal of this circuit 26 is connected n to a plug 28 for insertion in any one of the sockets 24, while the remaining terminal is connected to the base of the switch board, so as to cooperate with the wires of the clock to form a complete circuit.

Of course it is to be understood that various types of electrical clocks may be used for timing the energization of the motor 1, and as these clocks are well known in the art, further detail description will therefore be eliminated,

The second form of my invention illustrated materially simplifis the mechanism for operating a series of valves in succession. To accomplish this I construct the drive shaft of the motor in two parts 29 and 30, having a slidable connection with each other.

The part 30 has adj ustably connected thereto by screws 31, worms 32, which may be of any number, depending upon the number of valves'to be operated. Acting upon a collar 33 of the part 30 and tending to force the shaft in a predetermined direction, is a coil spring 34, the strength of which is not great enough to operate a valve. Connected to each valve is a segmental gear 35.

From this arrangement it will be seen that upon properly positioning the worm 32 on the shaft, the segmental gear of the first valve will be completely operated upon rotation of the motor before the worm of the .next valve engages its segmental gear. As

soon as one worm has completely turned its segmental gear the coperating teeth will move out of mesh, and through the expansible action of the spring 34, another worm will be moving into engagement with its associated segmental gear, so that upon the subsequent movement of the motor another valve will be closed. This action will be repeated as many times as there are valves to be operated.

Attention is called to the fact that when the time clock has closed the circuit for operating a valve, the circuit will be broken about the time the worm passes out of engagement with its gear, so that upon another gear and worm engaging the motor will not operate until another circuit is closed, and thus 1 am able to time control the operation of a number of valves in succession.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I provide a mechanism of simple and substantial construction, capable of opening and closing valves in succession and lighting the gas upon the opening of the valve. 0f course, it is to be understood that the invention may be constructed in variousother manners and the parts associated with other relation, and therefore, T do not desire to be limited in any manner, except as set forthv in the claims hereto appended.

lli/That is claimed is:

1. Time controlled valve operating mechanisin comprising a motor, means fortiming the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor and adjustable means for operating the valves from the one shaft either simultaneously or in succession.

2. Time controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor, and manually adjustable means for operating one or more valves in succession from said shaft.

3. Time controlled valve operating mech-` anism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor and manually adjustable means driven by the motor so that a plurality of valves may be operated at different timed intervals.

4. Time controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor and devices independently regulated and driven from the shaft for deiermining the time of operation of each va ve,

5. Time controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor, a plurality of devices, one for each valve, each having a manually adjustable connection with the shaft, whereby the time of operation of the different devices may be regulated.

6. Time controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft connected to the motor, a plurality of devices, one for each valve, each having a manually adjustable connection with the shaft, Whereby the time of operation of the different devices may be regulated, each device in its operation closing an ignition circuit.

7. Time controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor, a normally disconnected driving means between the shaft and the valve and a device operating in the movement of the shaft for connecting the said driving means.

S. Time controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor, a pair of drive disks, a third disk connected to the valve and normally spaced from the first mentioned disks and automatic means for shifting either of the first disks into engagement with the valve disk.

9. ITime controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor, a pair of drive disks, a third disk connected to the valve and normally spaced from the first mentioned disks and automatic means for shifting either of the first disks into engagement With the valve disk and rendering an ignition circuit active.

l0. Time controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft driven by the motor, a disk connected to the valve, a pair of disks slidably mounted on the shaft and normally forced out of engagement with the valve disk, automatic means for forcing one of the disks into engagement with the valve disk for driving the latter in one direction and automatic means for moving the other disk into engagement With the valve Vdisk for rotating the latter in an opposite direction.

ll. Time controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, mea-ns for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft, a disk slidably mounted on the shaft for operating a valve and a shifter for the disk havino' a feed connection with the shaft.

12. fime controlled valve operating mechanism comprising a motor, means for timing the energization of the motor, a shaft, a pair of normally disconnected' disks, one connected to the valve and the other slidably mounted on the shaft, a shifter for the disk on the shaft constructed to have a portion thrown into driving relation with the shaft and a brake device for the shaft, the activity of which depends upon the relative position of said disks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEONARD FARNHAM. 

